Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of this study?
The goal of the field trial is to demonstrate that the email and streaming video message delivery system and brief messages delivered through Prevention ABCs Genie have the ability to increase the quality with which school drug prevention programs are delivered.

How will the message delivery system work?
Teachers who participate in the field trial will be assigned a username and password to access a website entitled Prevention ABCs Genie. This website will enable teachers to enter their teaching schedules for their respective prevention programs online. Once a schedule is entered, teachers will automatically receive email messages with a brief message about their upcoming program session and a link to a video clip with tips and advice that relate to the session. The video clips include testimonials by other teachers, as well as classroom demonstrations. Email messages will arrive several days in advance of a scheduled program session.

How many teachers will participate in this study?
We wish to recruit a minimum of 200 teachers delivering NREPP programs to participate in this project.

I teach my prevention program through a community agency. Can I still participate in this study?
Yes. As long as you are teaching the program to youth in grades 6 through 10, you are eligible to participate.

What grade level do teachers need to be teaching for this study?
We will recruit teachers who deliver prevention programs to middle or high school students, in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.

Is there a deadline for a teacher to participate in the study?
Teachers must commit to participate in the project far enough in advance in order to deliver two cycles of their prevention program between now and May of 2012.

Do teachers have to be implementing a specific drug prevention program?
We are recruiting teachers who are implementing drug prevention programs on the NREPP list of programs , as well as a few other programs. Programs on the NREPP list include, but are not limited to: All Stars, BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risk), Keepin’ It REAL, Life Skills Training, Lions Quest, Positive Action, Project ALERT, Project Northland, Project Success, Project Towards No Tobacco Use, Project Towards No Drug Use, Right Decisions, Right Now: Be Tobacco Free, and Too Good for Drugs. If you are using a program not currently on the NREPP list, or to learn whether your program is on the list, please contact Dr. Linda Dusenbury (888-692-8412) to discuss whether your program would meet the requirements for this project.

Will students have to complete a survey as part of this study?
Yes, students will complete a brief, anonymous survey that asks about their level of interest and engagement in the prevention program in which they participated. Teachers will be responsible for administering the student surveys. The student surveys will not ask any questions about substance use or attitudes about use. Tanglewood Research, Inc. will provide the surveys and instructions for implementing them.

Will we need to have parental consent for student surveys?
Because the survey is anonymous, and because it does not ask students for any personal information, active parental consent will not be required, unless your school district has a policy that requires active parental consent. Students’ parents will be provided information about the student surveys at the beginning of school, and parents will only be asked to opt out of allowing their student to be surveyed if they desire to not have students participate in the survey. Student participation is voluntary. Students will also be given the option to opt out at the time of survey administration.

Will teachers receive incentives for participating in the study?
Yes. Teachers who participate in the study will be enrolled in the Prevention ABCs online support service free of charge. Teachers will also receive a $50 gift certificate for registering to use the system; they will receive a $50 gift certificate for completing surveys at the end of each cycle (2 x $50=$100), and a $50 gift certificate for completing the fidelity measures, for a total of $200 in incentives for each teacher.

Will schools/prevention service providers receive incentives?
Yes. School districts or prevention service providers that participate will receive $100 for each teacher who completes their participation in the project.

When during the school year will teachers use the message delivery system?
Teachers will need to be delivering their program for at least two cycles (typically semesters) between now and May of 2012. Teachers will be randomly assigned to an immediate or a delayed implementation condition. Immediate implementation will run as early as spring semester 2011. Teachers will be notified of their condition by the program manager as soon as they register for the project.

How many cycles will teachers need to be delivering their prevention program?
Teachers must be delivering their program for two cycles between now and May of 2012.

Will teachers need to survey all of their students?
Teachers will only involve one class during each cycle in the project. Student surveys will be administered at the beginning and end of each cycle. The teacher will also complete fidelity surveys for these classes.

How will you choose which classes teachers use the message delivery system with?
Each teacher will list all classes to which they expect to teach their drug prevention program. We will randomly select one class from among these which teachers will involve as a student sample in the project. Students will be middle or high school students, in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.

How many messages will teachers receive?
Teachers will receive at least one message per program session, but may elect to receive many more. Genie currently includes approximately 100 messages with more messages being scheduled for inclusion in the near future. Each email message will be less than 100 words and will have a link to a video streamed clip about program topics or methods.

How often will teachers receive email messages?
Teachers can schedule the delivery of messages to meet their needs. Typically teachers will be encouraged to request messages to be delivered just before teaching each session of the program.

Will teachers need specific software on their computers to view the video messages?
Video segments will require Adobe Flash player, a free program.

Will teachers have to complete surveys as part of this study?
Yes. Four types of data will be collected from teachers. First, teachers will be given a survey at the beginning and end of each teaching cycle to assess their knowledge of prevention practice. Teachers will also be asked to complete a survey to report the degree to which the Prevention ABCs Genie messages were helpful. Teachers will be asked to complete brief measures about how much of the prevention program they delivered and if they made any modifications. Finally, teachers will be asked general questions about each program session. Examples of these questions include number of students, how well session goals were achieved, perceived impact on student behavior and perceived student engagement.

Will teachers who participate in the study have to be trained to use Prevention ABCs Genie?
Teachers selected for the study must be willing to participate in a telephone-based training to learn about accessing the web-based message delivery system (e.g., email messages and video clips designed to enhance program delivery).

Can our school or community agency still be compensated for a study participant if our state law does not allow teachers to receive incentives or limits the amount of their incentive?
Yes. Because there are many differences among states and school districts, if your school or agency is subject to limits, we will work with you to ensure equitable incentives are provided.

Do you have another question? Email us. We will make sure your question is answered.